Fountain toothbrush



Patented July 29, 1:941 -hj UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,250,758 FOUNTAIN 'roornnnusn `Cim-1e. r. French, Turlock, oeuf. Application Janie 13, 193s, serial No.v 278,334

' comme. loris-137) t adiameter and configuration to snugly and symmetrically butfremovably engage in handle sec- This invention relates generally to an improvement in brushes, and the invention' is particularly directed to an improved fountain brush andV especially a' fountain tooth brush. i .Y

The principal object of the present invention bular handle adapted to receive a separatepaste holding ampule or cartridge; such'handle including a manually actuated unit arranged to force a predetermined quantity of paste from the caris to provide a fountain tooth brush having atutridge through a passage in the head of the the body adjacent the tip end.

which will be exceedingly eiective for the pur- Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section on line' I 3-3 of Fig. 1. J

Figure 4 is a longitudinal elevation of vone of the separate paste holding cartridges.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the device comprises a tubular handle including separate longitudinal sections I and 2 removably threaded together at adjacent ends, as at 3, with their bores in communication with each other. The outer end of handle section I is closed as indicated at l, while the outer end of handle section 2 is reduced somewhat in diameter to a neck 5 which is threaded for the reception of a head 8 having a tapped socket 1 in one end thereof and into which said neck is adapted to be screwed. A paste feed passage 8 extends from the interior of section 2 to the outer end of neck 5 and, when head 6 is in place, registers with a passage 9 in said head leading from the bottom of socket 1 to a point of discharge into the bristles I0 of the tooth brush.

'Ihe paste P is carried by a separate ampule or cartridge which comprises a tubular body I l of tion 2. The end ofthe cartridge whichis adapted to be disposed in the end ofA section 2 adjacent neck 5 is tapered, as is the adjacent portion of the vbore in said section, and is formed at one en'd with a removable tip I2 adapted for removal prior to insertion ofthe cartridge into the handle section. The body II is filled with paste and the other and initially openend is then closed by a plug I3 which is of a diameter so that the `plug can be pushed the full length of body II and to extrude the paste through said one end after removal of tip I2; the inner end of said plug being tapered to correspondv to .the taper of A plunger rod I4 is slidably mounted in handle section I; the plunger I4 being guided by circumferentially spaced, radial ribs I5, while at its other end having a headed pin I6 which projects through and is guidedvby a slot I1 cut longitudinally in said handle section I. A scale I8 is marked adjacent the slot. The ribs I5 are of suilicient length and are disposed to engage the rod for substantially the entire length thereof when the rod is retracted.

At the outset headed pin I6 is disposed in the i end of the slot adjacent the end 4 of handle section I, and the plunger is in engagement with the outer end of plug I3 in the cartridge. In order to discharge a quantity of tooth paste into the bristles I through passages 8 and 9, the headed pin I9 is urged along the slot in. a direction toward the head end of the handle. When this occurs, plug I3 is lforced a certain distance linto the tubular cartridge 'causing a certain amount of the paste therein to be pressed or extruded through the tip end and into the passages 8 and 9. By providing the scale marks I8 adjacent slot I1, a user can readily determine the proper amount of movement of the pin I6 and connected and in such event the passages 8 and 9 would besubstantially-reduced in diameter. l

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially i'ulillls the objects of the invention as set i'orth herein.

While this specincation sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device,

still in practice auch deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the'invention, as defined by the appended claims.`

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. m a tamtam brush including a tubular nmdle, a head on one end of the handle, bristles on the head, there being a passage through the head between the tubular handle at one end and said 'one end of the cartridge;` said means comprising a longitudinally extending centrally disposed g5 plungerl rod slidably positioned in the handle beyond the plug, said rod being of relatively small diameter and substantially the same length as the cartridge and adapted to engage and move said plug, a plurality oi' circumferentially spaced radial ribs supporting and guiding said rod. said ribs being of a length to support the rod for substantially its entire length' when said rod is disposed in retracted position, a radial pin fixed on the rod adjacent its outer end, the handle having-a longitudinal slot therein between adjacent ones of said ribs and through which slot said pin projects for hand engagement.

f 2. In a fountain brush having a tubular handle member, a head on one end of the member, bristles on the head; there being a passage through the head to the interior of the member, a pasteillled cartridge in the member open at its inner end to the head end of the passage, and a stopper in its outer end of the cartridge forming a plunger adapted for advance into the cartridge; a tubular handle extension removably secured at one end on the outer end o! the member, a plunger` rod ln the extension to engage the stopper and advance the same, centering and guide means for the rod formed in the extension adJacent said one end thereof, and means to advance the rod on'the extension.

' CHARLES P. FRENCH. 

